"Hashirama! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Big Brother! This is unnecessary!"
For once,Madara and Tobirama spoke in unison, both staring wide-eyed at Hashirama, who had dropped to his knees in apology before Mū.
Even Mū's eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across them.
So the memories hadn't lied..
Hashirama truly was a good man, a peace-loving idealist worth respecting.
At first, Mū hadn't quite believed the tale of Hashirama bowing at the Five Kage Summit.
Now he did.
"My sincerest apologies, Lord Mū!" Hashirama said firmly, his voice carrying absolute conviction.
"As compensation, Konoha will offer you ten thousand ryo, a thousand ninja tools, several thousand measures of grain, and fifty Earth Release scrolls!"
"If you are still unsatisfied, then strike me as you please. I will not fight back!"
His words rang with sincerity.
"Hashirama! Get up this instant!" Madara roared, his face twisted with anger.
"Brother, this is too much," Tobirama added, his own face dark.
It wasn't the kneeling that troubled him. Tobirama cared little for appearances. What troubled him was the compensation.
Too much!
Even with Konoha's vast resources, they couldn't afford to throw wealth around recklessly. Villages still needed funds for construction, departments, and trade.
But Hashirama's mind was made up.
"If Lord Mū does not forgive me, I will not rise!"
"Please, Lord Mū, accept my apology!"
No matter what Madara or Tobirama said, Hashirama stayed bowed, his face resolute.
---
Mū drew a long breath, his own face stern.
"Lord Hashirama! Do you think this is about money?"
"This is about dignity! Do you really believe this is enough to wash this away?"
"The dignity of a village cannot be bought, even with mountains of treasure!"
His words rang righteous and firm.
Madara's eyes sharpened dangerously, turning on him.
"You've gone far enough. Push Hashirama any further, and I'll kill you myself!"
But Mū didn't flinch.
"Since ancient times, who among men has not faced death? Better to die with integrity, leaving behind a clear conscience, than to live bowed and broken!"
He shut his eyes, raising his voice boldly.
Tobirama's jaw tightened. 'Is this man truly unafraid of death?'
One wrong word to Madara, and he could be cut down where he stands.
Even Tobirama wouldn't dare face Madara alone so brazenly.
Hashirama, however, looked at Mū with admiration.
Truly a hero. To speak such words in the face of death.
---
But Tobirama's thoughts ran differently.
If Mū insisted it wasn't about money, didn't that mean the compensation was… unnecessary?
After all, he couldn't stand wasting resources like that.
So he asked bluntly.
"Lord Mū, your words are admirable. But… do you still want the compensation?"
"Yes!" Mū slapped his thigh, suddenly springing upright. "Of course I do! I earned it with blood and bruises. Why wouldn't I take it?!"
"If I refuse, the other villages might think I was too scared to claim it! No, I'll take it! And my student Ōnoki will get a share too!"
Both Madara and Tobirama nearly collapsed, black lines running down their foreheads.
---
"Very well!" Hashirama agreed instantly, then looked around in confusion. "But where is your student, Lord Mū? I recall you brought him along… has he vanished?"
Mū smiled mysteriously. "That's not something you need to concern yourself with, Lord Hashirama."
So… where was Ōnoki?
---
At that very moment, far from Konoha, near the borders of the Land of Fire, two figures raced swiftly through the night.
It was Mū and Ōnoki.
In truth, they had already fled long ago.
Yes, fled.
Running was always the answer.
Did anyone really believe Mū would leave his true body sitting around, bickering with Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama all at once?
Of course not.
The moment he unleashed Chibaku Tensei, the real Mū had already withdrawn. The drain was too heavy, so he fled with Ōnoki in tow, leaving only a clone behind.
If the clone survived, it could collect the compensation.
If it died, then so be it. He could play dead, dodge Madara's wrath, and bide his time.
Clones were expendable. Give it a few days, and he'd be back in action.
Mū was nothing if not cautious.
Trust his life to Hashirama's "kind heart"? Bet against Madara's hand speed? That was suicide.
The real body had already slipped away.
"Ōnoki, slow down. We'll wait for my clone to finish up," Mū said calmly.
"Yes, Sensei!"
Respect gleamed in Ōnoki's eyes.
To walk away alive from Madara, how many in the shinobi world could boast the same?
---
Back in Konoha, Hashirama had indeed delivered a mountain of compensation.
On top of it, he added an extra two hundred tons of timber, freshly produced with Wood Release.
Originally, there had been no such offer. But Mū had deliberately requested it, claiming Iwagakure was made of nothing but stone and desperately needed wood as construction material.
Hashirama thought about it, nodded, and clapped his hands. Instantly, vast forests worth of timber appeared.
"All done. Thank you, Lord Hokage. I'll be on my way now."
Beneath his bandages, Mū's expression was bright, almost cheerful.
Just as he prepared to leave, however, Madara blocked his path.
"Wait. Did you forget something?" Madara's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"My fan and scythe."
Mū froze for a moment, then gave a sheepish laugh.
"Ahaha… nearly slipped my mind."
He carefully handed over the weapons. Madara snorted coldly and stalked off.
"Then, I'll take my leave. Lord Hokage, Lord Tobirama."
Mū lifted all the compensation with ease, floating into the sky with his flight technique.
Hashirama and Tobirama watched him depart.
"Tobirama, that man is impressive. Strong in body, sharp in mind," Hashirama said, admiration in his voice.
Tobirama only nodded, his gaze still sharp.
"This Mū… he feels slippery. Cunning, and impossible to pin down. Mark my words. He may become a hidden danger to Konoha in the future."
Then Hashirama suddenly brightened with a grin.
"Ah, Tobirama, by the way, the gambling debt I owe at the casino, could you pay that off for me?"
Tobirama's eyes nearly bulged from his head.
"Big Brother! You just gave away a mountain of resources and money, and now you want me to pay your debts?!"
"Ask Madara! The Uchiha clan's coffers are overflowing. And think about it. This whole mess started because of him anyway. He dragged someone here for a fight, left a disaster behind, and then walked off while we had to pay for it!"
Tobirama's voice grew colder.
"Brother, you need to keep Madara in check. If you let him go on like this, he'll bring disaster. Look at today, without us here, Madara would've started a war already."
Hashirama's smile faded into a sigh.
"Since I was chosen as Hokage… he's grown more distant. More bitter. I don't know what to do anymore…"
"Tell me honestly, Brother. Do you still believe Madara is fit to be Hokage?" Tobirama pressed.
"If it were him, Konoha would drown in bloodshed. Wars would come again and again."
The words struck deep, and Hashirama could only sigh heavily.
Madara was powerful, too powerful. But cold, distant, and lacking the warmth a leader needed.
In the old Warring States era, perhaps that kind of leader was necessary.
But now, times were changing.
"…Let's go, Tobirama."
Hashirama, weary of his brother's endless criticism of Madara, vanished with Body Flicker.